Saturday, May 02, 2009

What Immigrant Rights?

Today the "Milwaukee Journal Sentinel" published a report on the "Immigrant Rights Parade" . But, What are those rights? Who is entitled to them? Many rely on the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution or related statutes or court cases to define those rights.

The intent of the writers of that Amendment was to force the rebelling, Southern, States to accept as citizens those Black slaves held by Whites, Native Americans and other Blacks. Many rights (But NOT all, such as voting) were extended to legal immigrants and legal visitors to the USA.

Although I am not an attorney, I put to you that the requirement of being "...subject to the jurisdiction.." of the USA and the several States excludes illegal immigrants who have avoided that jurisdiction by their unlawful entry into the USA. I put to you that such "illegals" have NO rights under the Constitution including, but not limited to: Voting in our elections; Possessing firearms; Judicial or other "due process" hearings, beyond that needed to determine their immigration status, before forced deportation; Habeas Corpus; Conditions of confinement pending deportation; Granting of citizenship to their children born in the USA; ETC..

Perhaps, we should now emphasize "duties" as much as "rights" and insist that "illegals" perform the duty of returning to their homelands and only then and only legally re-enter the USA.

Of course, enforcement of such a concept would require Federal Judges who hold faith to the letter and intent of the Constitution and its Amendment.

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U.S. Constitution: Fourteenth Amendment

Fourteenth Amendment - Rights Guaranteed Privileges and Immunities of Citizenship, Due Process and Equal Protection

Section. 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

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